Internationale Deutsch-
Olympiade

Push your limits and explore new paths together – at IDO 2026! The final round of the biggest German language-learning contest brought together young language enthusiasts from over 60 countries.
Their motto for Mannheim 2026: ZusammenWachsen.

Banner for the “Internationale Deutscholympiade” (IDO) 2026 © Goethe-Institut

The Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) brings together young people from across the globe who share a passion for German, fostering intercultural exchange and creating opportunities to engage with the German culture and civil society. At every final round in Germany, the participants demonstrate their language skills, creativity, teamwork and intercultural competence. Past editions have vividly illustrated how the German language builds bridges across borders. 

  • The Internationale Deutscholympiade has many faces and many voices. One click is all it takes to experience the energy, creativity and strong sense of community that make the IDO so special.

    IDO 2026 ZusammenWachsen

  • The Official Song for IDO 2026

    Joshua Caleb, an indie-pop artist with roots in Mannheim and official ambassador for IDO 2026, has written and composed a special song for the IDO. Listen to it now!

    Joshua Caleb © Ben van Skyhawk © Ben van Skyhawk

Once IDO, always IDO

Highlights

Click here for the past IDOs. We show you the highlights from 2018–2026 once again.

Participants in the International German Olympiad. The IDO can be found on social media under #DABEISEIN! © Goethe-Institut / Andree Kaiser © Goethe-Institut / Andree Kaiser

Contact

Any questions about the Internationale Deutscholympiade? Feel free to write to us. We look forward to hearing from you.

ido@goethe.de

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we answer general and frequently asked questions about the Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO).

Partners